Device for the actively-controlled and localised deposition of at least one biological solution

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a device for the actively-controlled deposition of microdrops of biological solutions. The inventive device consists of at least one flat silicon lever comprising a central body and an end area which forms a point, a slit or groove being disposed in said point. The invention is characterized in that it also comprises at least one metallic track which is disposed on one face of the central body and which runs alongside said slit or groove at least partially. The invention also relates to a method of producing the inventive device and a method for the active-controlled deposition and sampling of microdrops of biological solutions using said device.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a national stage application filed under 35 U.S.C.371 of International Application No. PCT/FR03/01481, filed May 15, 2003,which claims priority from French Application No. FR0206016, filed May16, 2002.

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The subject of the present invention is a device for the activelycontrolled, localized deposition of at least one biological solution inthe form of microdrops.

In the pharmaceutical industry, the capital invested in research fordeveloping new medicines occupies a considerable portion of anenterprise's budget.

New assay methods are needed to reduce the cost of such research.

The arrival of microchips in the biomedical sector has revolutionizedthe fields of medicinal product development and of bioassay.

The advantages of these microchips are the following:

they allow new, more sensitive detection methods to be developed;

-   -   they require smaller volumes of reactants, hence a lower cost;    -   they allow analytical procedures that are more rapid, owing to        their small dimensions; and    -   they allow screening or diagnostic studies to be carried out        owing to the large number of different solutions present on any        one surface.

However, the tools that are currently operational for distributing smallvolumes of biological material in solution allow the deposition, onglass slides or on membranes, of drops with a diameter of the order of ahundred microns (which corresponds to a drop volume of the order of ananoliter). These systems rely:

-   -   either, in a first case, on a piezoelectric active device for        sucking up and ejecting the products in solution (a contactless        deposition system);    -   or, in a second case, on a passive mechanism consisting of split        pins made of metal (stainless steel, tungsten, etc.), the liquid        being sucked up in this second case by capillary effect and        being deposited by bringing the end of the pin into contact with        a glass slide (a contact deposition system). We should also        mention the pin-and-ring system, the operating principle of        which is similar to that used with the mechanism consisting of        split pins, the ring acting as a liquid reservoir in this case.

Other deposition techniques that have formed the subject of laboratorystudies are known, these making it possible to achieve smaller volumesthan those obtained with the abovementioned operational tools.

One of these techniques is dip-pen lithography, which is a techniquederived from atomic force microscopy and makes it possible to formfeatures on a surface using a molecular transport diffusion effect atthe water meniscus that forms between the tip of an atomic forcemicroscope and the surface on which the deposition takes place. Theoperating principle relies on the difference in hydrophilicity orwettability properties between the tip and the surface. The surface mustin fact be more hydrophilic than the tip in order to cause moleculardiffusion from the tip toward the surface. The resolution obtained maybe less than 1 micron and it is also possible to envisage the depositionof different biological molecules, but this means changing the tip(which will have been immersed beforehand in the solution to bedeposited) for each solution. This deposition technique is thereforeextremely time consuming if it is desired to carry out several tens ofdifferent depositions. Moreover, changing the tip of the microscope doesnot make it possible to maintain the alignment precision between twochanges. Finally, this approach can be implemented only under highhumidity conditions in order for the water meniscus to form.

This technique is described in particular in the following articles:

-   -   “Dip-pen Nanolithography” R. D. Piner, J. Zhu, F. Xu, S. Hong        and C. A. Mirkin, Science, Vol. 283, pages 661-663, Jan. 29,        1999;    -   “Multiple Ink Nanolithography : toward a Multiple-Pen        Nano-Plotter”, S. Hong, J. Zhu and C. A. Mirkin, Science, Vol.        286, pages 523-525, Oct. 15, 1999;    -   “Surface organization and nanopatterning of collagen by dip-pen        nanolithography”, D. L. Wilson, R. Martin, S. Hong, M.        Cronin-Golomb, C. A. Mirkin and D. L. Kaplan, Proceedings of the        National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America,        Volume 98, Issue 24, Nov. 20, 2001, pages 13660-13664; and    -   “Dip-Pen nanolithography on semiconductor surfaces”, A.        Ivanisevic and C. A. Mirkin, Journal of the American Chemical        Society, Volume 123, Issue 32, Aug. 15, 2001, pages 7887-7889.

Other Microsystems have also been proposed for carrying out depositionsfor the fabrication of biochips. These apply in general to microfluidstructures, for example that described in the following article:

-   -   “Micromachined needle arrays for drug delivery or fluid        extraction”, IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Magazine:        the Quarterly Magazine of the Engineering in Medicine & Biology        Society, Volume 18, Issue 6, November-December 1999, pages        53-58, J. Brazzle, I. Papautsky and A. B. Frazier.

These are micromachined silicon structures having microfabricatedchannels, and their use is altogether comparable to that of an ink jetsystem. These “closed” structures, in the form of tubes, are verydifficult to clean, which represents an obstacle to the same devicebeing used to deposit droplets of different liquids.

International patent application WO 02/00348 illustrates a depositionsystem that allows microdroplets with a volume of between 10 picolitersand 200 nanoliters to be deposited. Such a system consists of at leastone lever, made of silica or quartz, equipped with a capillary channeland with a reservoir. The liquid is picked up and deposited purelypassively, by capillary effect and by the difference in wettabilitybetween the device and the deposition surface.

Micropipettes allowing contactless deposition, by means of a fieldeffect, are described in particular in the following documents:

-   -   “Electrospray deposition as a method for a mass fabrication of        mono and multicomponent microarrays of biological and        biologically active substances”, V. N. Morozov and T. Ya.        Morozova, Analytical Chemistry, Volume 71, Issue 15, Aug. 1,        1999, pages 3110-3117; and    -   “Atomic force microscopy of structures produced by        electrospraying polymer solutions”, Victor N. Morozov, Tamara Ya        Morozova and Neville R. Kallenbach, International Journal of        Mass Spectrometry, Volume 178, Issue 3, Nov. 9, 1998, pages        143-159.

These devices exploit the electrospray effect in order to deposit in acontrolled manner, by means of an adjustable electric field, very smallamounts of organic molecules. However, the electrospray method consistsin applying an electric field high enough to ionize and atomize theliquid to be deposited. The droplets thus produced have submicrondimensions and evaporate before they reach the deposition surface; inthis way, thin films are produced. This is therefore a different problemfrom that facing the present invention, that is to say the deposition ofdroplets with a volume of the order of 1 picoliter or 1 femtoliter. Inaddition, the electrospray devices consist of micropipettes containing aneedle-shaped electrode; they cannot therefore be effectively washed andhave to be replaced each time the liquid is changed.

Studies on surface wetting under the effect of an electric field and thedisplacement of a liquid by actively controlling the wettability of asurface have been published in the following articles:

-   -   “Electrowetting and electrowetting-on-dielectric for microscale        liquid handling”, J. Lee, H. Moon, J. Fowler, T. Schoellhammer        and C. J. Kim, Sensors and Actuators, A 95, pages 259-268, 2002;        and    -   “Dielectrophoretic liquid actuation and nanodroplet        formation”, T. B. Jones, M. Gunji, M. Washizu and M. J. Feldman,        Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 89, No. 2, pages 1441-1448,        2001.

These articles describe the physical principles of electrowetting anddielectrophoresis, and also their application for handling droplets ofliquids such as water. Although these effects have been known forseveral decades, they have never been applied to the deposition ofliquid droplets.

In conclusion, no deposition system has yet been proposed that allowsmicrodrops with a diameter of less than 10 microns, that is to say witha volume of less than 1 picoliter (p1), to be deposited in an activelycontrolled and precise (relative to a reference) manner.

A fortiori, no known deposition system allows such drops to be depositedin a precise and actively controlled manner on microstructures of thebridge, beam or membrane type.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention makes it possible to achieve these objectives bythe use, as deposition system, of one or more silicon microlevers havingat least one electrode for handling the liquid to be deposited byelectrostatic effects.

One subject of the invention is a deposition device for preciselocalized and actively controlled deposition of microdrops, inparticular with a diameter of less than 10 microns, and moreparticularly with a diameter of the order of 1 micron.

Another subject of the invention is a deposition device for preciselocalized and actively controlled deposition of microdrops onmicrostructures such as bridges, beams or membranes.

Another subject of the invention is a deposition device for depositingdifferent biological molecules.

Another subject of the invention is a deposition device for depositingmicrodrops without any contact with the structure or the microstructureon which the deposition takes place.

Another subject of the invention is a deposition device for depositingmicrodrops by contact with a structure or microstructure, underconditions that maintain the integrity of the structure ormicrostructure.

At least one of the aforementioned objectives is achieved by means of adevice for depositing biological solutions, comprising at least one flatsilicon lever having a central body and an end region that forms a tipin which a slit or groove is provided, characterized in that it has atleast one metal track that is provided on one face of the central bodyand that runs at least partly alongside a said slit or groove.

Advantageously, said slit or groove extends from said tip as far as areservoir provided in the central body.

Advantageously, said metal track or tracks run at least partly alongsidesaid reservoir.

According to one embodiment of the device, the reservoir is anon-emergent cavity provided in one main face of the central body.

According to another embodiment, the reservoir consists of an emergentopening provided between two opposed main faces of the central body.

A said slit or groove and/or a said reservoir and/or a said metal trackis/are optionally coated with SiO₂.

Advantageously, the lever has at least one hydrophobic region made ofsilicon or else made of silicon oxide coated with a hydrophobic silane.

Advantageously, the device has at least one implanted piezoresistor.

Advantageously, the or each lever has at least one integrated actuatorfor controlling its bending.

According to a preferred embodiment, said actuator comprises apiezoelectric layer deposited on a surface of said lever.

According to another preferred embodiment, said actuator comprises abimetallic strip and a heating resistor that is deposited on a surfaceof said lever.

The invention also relates to a process for fabricating a device asdefined above, characterized in that it involves:

-   -   a) at least one step of depositing silicon oxide on a front face        of a silicon-on-insulator substrate having a buried insulating        layer;    -   b) the production, for each lever, of at least one metal track;    -   c) at least one chemical or ion etching step carried out via the        front face of the silicon substrate in order to define the        outline of the levers, and at least one slit or groove, the        outline of the levers being defined by chemical or ion etching        down to the buried insulating layer; and    -   d) a chemical or ion etching step carried out via the rear face        of the substrate in order to remove it, including the buried        insulating layer, and to free at least one lever.

The process may be characterized in that b) also includes:

-   -   b1) a second step of depositing oxide on the front face in order        to isolate at least one metal track.

The process may be characterized in that c) comprises chemical or ionetching down to the buried insulating layer in order to define, inaddition to the outline of the levers, a slit and/or an emergent openingconstituting a reservoir for at least one lever.

The process may be characterized in that c) comprises first chemical orion etching of the substrate, this operation being stopped before theburied insulating layer in order to define at least one groove and/or anon-emergent cavity forming a reservoir, for at least one lever, andsecond chemical or ion etching of the substrate down to the buriedinsulating layer in order to define at least the outline of the levers.

The first chemical or ion etching may be carried out in such a way thatthe outline of the levers is defined over part of their thickness.

Advantageously, before a), a step of implanting at least onepiezoresistor is provided.

Advantageously, the process also includes a step of depositing anintegrated actuator.

According to a preferred embodiment, said step of depositing anintegrated actuator comprises the deposition of a piezoelectric film ofPbZrO₃/PbTiO₃ by sputtering.

Advantageously, said piezoelectric film is isolated from the liquid by alayer of a material chosen from the following: silicon oxide, “Teflon”PTFE, a polymer.

According to another preferred embodiment, said step of depositing anintegrated actuator comprises the low-pressure chemical vapor deposition(LPCVD) of an Si₃N₄ layer followed by deposition, by evaporation, of aCr layer and of an Au layer in order to produce a heating resistor, thusforming a bimetallic strip.

The invention also relates to a method of sampling at least onebiological solution using a device as defined above, characterized inthat the sampling and the retention of said biological solution areassisted by an electric field effect by applying a potential differencebetween said metal tracks.

If a device having a piezoresistor is used, advantageously a measurementof the variation in the electrical resistance of said piezoresistor ismade after the sampling, in order to determine the amount of biologicalsolution taken.

The invention also relates to a method of depositing at least onebiological solution using a device as defined above, characterized inthat the deposition of said biological solution is assisted by anelectric field effect by applying a potential difference between saidmetal tracks, which are maintained at the same potential, and adeposition surface having at least one conducting layer.

If a device having a piezoresistor is used, advantageously a measurementof the variation in the electrical resistance of said piezoresistor ismade after the deposition, in order to determine the amount ofbiological solution deposited.

The invention also relates to a method of depositing at least onebiological solution using a row of devices as defined above, each havinga piezoresistor and an integrated actuator, characterized in that thecontact force of each lever with the deposition surface is determined bymeasuring the variation in the electrical resistance of each implantedpiezoresistor that is actively controlled by each integrated actuator.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the invention will become more clearlyapparent on reading the following description in conjunction with theappended drawings in which:

FIGS. 1A and 1B, 2A and 2B, 3A and 3B, and 4A and 4B illustrate leverembodiments according to the invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates a sectional view on VI-VI of a lever embodimenthaving an integrated piezoresistor;

FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate a sectional view on VI-VI of two other leverembodiments having an integrated actuator;

FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate a device consisting of a set of identicallevers forming a row;

FIGS. 8A to 8J illustrate a process for fabricating levers according tothe invention; and

FIGS. 9A-9D illustrate the various methods of picking up a liquid anddepositing it.

MORE DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As may be seen in FIGS. 1A-4B, the levers are preferably of rectangularshape (central body 1) terminating in a triangular end 2 forming a tip3. A groove 4 or slit 5 at the center of the levers, emerging at the tip3, forms a channel for the liquid. A reservoir 6 or 7 of rectangularshape may be inserted at the upper end of the channel 4 or 5. Two metaltracks 8 and 9 run alongside the channel 4 or 5 and/or the reservoir 6or 7.

The geometrical dimensions of the levers may be the following:

Lever length: 1 to 2 mm Width: 100 to 300 μm, for example 210 μmThickness: 1 to 20 μm (depending on the thickness of the initial SOIsubstrate) Inter-lever gap: 450 μm (for example) Channel length: 200 to400 μm, for example 250 μm (when a reservoir is drawn); 200 to 1000 μm,for example 550 μm (with no reservoir) Channel width: 2 to 20 μm, forexample 5 μm Reservoir length: 200 to 600 μm, for example 250 μmReservoir width: 50 to 150 μm, for example 80 μm Width of the conductingtracks: 1 to 40 μm, for example 20 μm.

The channel may be a groove 4 provided over part of the thickness of thelever starting from a surface 11, or a through-slit 5 that extendsbetween the faces 11 and 12. The channel may communicate with anon-emergent reservoir consisting of a cavity 6 provided in a main face11 of the central body 1 of the lever, or else with an emergentreservoir 7 consisting of an opening 7 provided between the main faces11 and 12 of the central body 1.

FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate the case of a slit 5, FIGS. 2A and 2B that ofa slit 5 and an emergent reservoir 7, FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate thecase of a groove 4 and a non-emergent reservoir 6 and, finally, FIGS. 4Aand 4B illustrate the case of a slit 5 and a non-emergent reservoir 6.The case (not illustrated) of a lever having a groove 4 and an emergentreservoir 6 may also be employed.

The metal tracks 8 and/or 9 run alongside the reservoir 6 or 7 (FIGS.2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 4A and 4B) and/or the groove 4 (FIGS. 3A, 3B) and/or theslit 5 (FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3A and 3B). As a variant (not shown), asingle metal track 8 or 9 may be present.

An actuator may be integrated on the rear face of the levers, thisconsisting of a piezoelectric layer 38 (FIG. 6A) or a bimetallic stripcomprising an Si₃N₄ layer 33, a chromium layer 35 and a gold layer 37(FIG. 6B).

A piezoresistor 31 may also be integrated on the rear face of the levers(FIG. 5).

Both the piezoresistor 31 and the actuator 33-35-37 or 38 are isolatedfrom the liquid by a passivation layer 32.

The device according to the invention allows in particular:

-   -   a) a reduction in the volumes deposited: the deposits produced        with the present system have, for example, a diameter of the        order of 10 microns (picoliter), this characteristic also being        parametrizable; it is conceivable to obtain microdrops of the        order of 1 μm in diameter (femtoliter), making the device        compatible with nanotechnology approaches that are currently        used (deposition of drops on nanosensors in particular); and    -   b) the possibility of actively controlling the operation of        picking up and depositing the liquid via the metal tracks 8        and/or 9, used as electrodes for exploiting the electrowetting,        dielectrophoresis and electrospray effects; and/or    -   c) the possibility of depositing a large variety of organic        biological substances (DNA, proteins, cells, etc.) or inorganic        substances (polymers, photoresists, etc.); and/or    -   d) the possible use of very small volumes, and therefore the        production of many dots, with a single lever pick-up (more than        a hundred or so drops 20 microns in diameter produced in one        pick-up); and/or    -   e) contact or contactless deposition without major modification        of the system (for example contactless deposition of DNA,        proteins or cells, or contact deposition of DNA or cells);        and/or    -   f) the possibility of integrating a piezoresistor serving as a        strain gauge on the microlevers, thereby actively controlling        the force and the contact time, and also allowing a row of        levers to be aligned with respect to the deposition surface        during the contact deposition phase; and/or    -   g) the possibility, thanks to said active control of the contact        force, of depositing substances on microstructures, such as        microbeams or micromembranes; and/or    -   h) measurement of the amount of liquid picked up and deposited        by said piezoresistor, operating as a very sensitive balance;        and/or    -   i) the possibility of integrating into the lever an actuator        consisting of a piezoelectric layer or a bimetallic strip with a        heating resistor; and    -   j) a greatly reduced cost, thanks to the use of collective        fabrication techniques derived from microelectronics; to give an        example, a commercial stainless steel pin costs from 300 to 400        dollars, whereas the cost of fabricating a silicon microlever        according to the invention leaves one to anticipate a markedly        lower overall cost.

Deposition on microstructures, mentioned in item (g), constitutes amajor advantage of the invention, since such devices can be used asintegrated biomolecule detectors. In this regard, see the articles:

-   -   “Translating Biomolecular Recognition into Nanomechanics”, J.        Fritz, M. K. Baller, H. P. Lang, H. Rothuizen, P. Vettiger, E.        Meyer, H.-J. Guentherodt, Ch. Gerber and J. K. Gimzewski,        Science, Volume 288, pages 316-318 (2000); and    -   French patent application FR 2 823 998.

With regard to the actuator mentioned at point (i), this allows onlypart of the levers constituting a row, as illustrated in FIG. 7A, to bebrought into contact with the deposition surface. FIG. 7B shows, forexample, a row in which the first lever is bent down toward thedeposition surface by the action of said integrated actuator, the secondis bent in the opposite direction, away from said surface in order toavoid any contact, and the third is left in its rest position. Thearrows F1 and F2 indicate the direction of movement of the tip inducedby the integrated actuator in the case of the first and second leversrespectively. The actuation of silicon microlevers by piezoelectricfilms or bimetallic strips is known in the prior art, but it is appliedfor the first time to a system for depositing microdrops of a liquid.For more details, see the articles:

-   -   “Piezoelectric properties of PZT films for microcantilevers”, E.        Cattan, T. Haccart, G. Vélu, D. Rémiens, C. Bergaud and L. Nicu,        Sensors and Actuators 74, pages 60-64 (1999), as regards        piezoelectric actuation; and    -   “Micromachined arrayed dip-pen nanolithography probes for        sub-100 nm direct chemistry patterning”, D. Bullen, X. Wang, J.        Zou, S. Hong, S.-W. Chung, K. Ryu, Z. Fan, C. Mirkin and C. Liu,        IEEE 16th International Conference on Microelectromechanical        Systems, Jan. 19-23, 2003, Kyoto, Japan, pages 4-7, as regards        thermomechanical (bimetallic strip) actuation.

The process for fabricating deposition levers is based on the collectivefabrication techniques used in microelectronics. A series oftechnological steps is carried out on an SOI (Silicon On Insulator)substrate.

The first part of the process comprises a succession of thin-filmformation steps (FIGS. 8A and 8C) and the second part consists of aseries of micromachining operations so as to define the levers.

The first step (FIG. 8A) is the deposition of silicon oxide 22 by LPCVD(low-pressure chemical vapor deposition) on the front face 21 of asilicon substrate 20 having a buried oxide layer 30. The oxide layer 22serves as insulator between the substrate and the followingmetallizations.

During the step shown in FIG. 8B, the metal tracks 25 are produced by alift-off technique, namely by photolithography followed by metaldeposition 25 by evaporation, and then removal of the resist (used formasking the metallized regions) in acetone and with the application ofultrasound, and finally annealing of the metallization.

The last step of the thin-film part is a second localized deposition 26of silicon oxide (FIG. 8C) by LPCVD in order to isolate themetallizations from the liquid when the levers are being used, followedby photolithography in order to gain access to the contact pads of themetallizations by etching the silicon oxide.

To start the micromachining, front face photolithography in the siliconlayer 27 allows the outlines of the levers to be defined. A first plasmaetching operation (reactive ion etching or RIE) is then carried out onthe silicon oxide, and then a second plasma etching operation is carriedout on the single-crystal silicon (FIG. 8D).

Lastly, a final photolithography operation, starting from the rear face28 of the wafer, and then a deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) operationon the silicon layer 29 are carried out in order to free the levers(FIG. 8E). The plasma etching is stopped by the silicon oxide stop layer30 of the SOI. Finally, reactive ion etching of this oxide 30 is carriedout—again via the rear face—in order to finish freeing the structures.

When etching the outlines of the levers, several options are possibledepending on the desired outline. For levers with an emergent channel (aslit 5 passing through the entire thickness of the lever) with orwithout a reservoir, a single step (as shown in FIG. 8D) is sufficient,by stopping the silicon etching on the oxide layer of the SOI oxidesubstrate.

However, to etch non-emergent structures (groove 4 or cavity 6), twophotolithographic steps followed by etching have to be carried out insuccession. The first, which defines the channel 4 and/or the reservoir6, must be stopped before the intermediate oxide layer of the SOIsubstrate is reached. This step must therefore be supplemented withphotolithography and etching of just the external outlines of the leversdown to the intermediate oxide layer of the SOI substrate.

The optional implantation of at least one piezoresistor, placed forexample longitudinally in the body 1 of the lever, may be carried outbefore the step shown in FIG. 8A. Firstly, a thin oxide is producedbefore the implantation of the dopants in the silicon. The thickness ofthis oxide, the dose and the doping energy must be chosen in order toobtain maximum sensitivity of the piezoresistor. Next, the oxide (FIG.8A) is deposited and then opened by chemical etching at the contacts ofthe piezoresistor and then metal is deposited (FIG. 8B) by a lift-offstep, which takes account of the tracks used as electrodes and thetracks for the piezoresistors. Next, the fabrication process continuesas previously.

One or more piezoresistors implanted on at least some of the levers makeit possible for there to be one or more strain gauges, the resistancevariation of which is used to detect, in particular, when the levercomes into contact with a surface. This makes it possible in particularto ensure control of the coplanarity of the levers during collectivedeposition.

Optionally, a piezoelectric film 30, for example consisting of a mixtureof PbZrO₃ and PbTiO₃ in a 54/46 ratio may be deposited by sputtering, asdescribed in:

-   -   “PZT Polarization effects on off-centered PZT patch actuating        silicon membranes”, M. Guirardel, C. Bergaud, E. Cattan, D.        Remiens, B. Belier, S. Petitgrand and A. Bosseboeuf, 16th        European Conference on Solid State Transducers (EUROSENSORS        XVI), Prague (Czech Republic), Sep. 15-18, 2002, pages 697-700.

The deposition may be carried out, for example, on the rear face of thelever, as illustrated by FIG. 8F. Alternatively, it may be carried outon the oxide layer 26 that covers the metal tracks 25, as illustrated inFIG. 8G. In both cases, the piezoelectric actuator must be isolated fromthe liquid by an oxide layer 32 or a layer of any material that ensureseffective isolation, namely “Teflon” PTFE, polymer (PDMS, resist, etc.).In this regard see the following articles:

-   -   “Tapping mode atomic force microscopy in liquid with an        insulated piezoelectric microactuator” B. Rogers, D. York, N.        Wishman, M. Jones, K. Murray, D. Adams, T. Sulchek and S. C.        Minne, Review of Scientific Instruments 73, pages 3242-3244        (2002); and    -   “High-speed atomic force microscopy in liquid”, T. Sulchek, R.        Hsieh, S. C. Minne, C. F. Quate and D. M. Adderton, Review of        Scientific Instruments 71, pages 2097-2099 (2000).

Alternatively, the actuator may consist of a bimetallic strip. FIGS.8H-8L show the various steps in producing such a device. Firstly, an Si₃N₄ layer 33 is deposited by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition(LPCVD) (FIG. 8H). Next, a chromium layer 35 (FIG. 8I) and a gold layer37 for constituting the heating resistor (FIG. 8L), thus forming abimetallic strip, are deposited by thermal evaporation. A dopedpolycrystalline silicon layer may also be used as a heating resistor.Following a lithography step, in order to define the outlines of theseelements, is the deposition of an insulating oxide layer and productionof the electrical contacts of the heating resistor.

The metal tracks constitute the core of the invention, as they make itpossible to control the rise of the liquid into the slit or groove, whenfilling the device, and its descent during deposition, by field effect.

A first technique, called dielectrophoresis and proposed by Jones et al.(see the document mentioned above), consists in using an AC electricfield to confine a polarizable liquid (for example water) in areas ofhigh electric field (the use of a DC field is possible, but it may causeundesirable effects, such as electrolysis of the liquid or it may damagebiomolecules). Since this field is created between two coplanarinsulated electrodes, the liquid is literally “pressed” against theelectrodes. A very similar effect, the physical origin of which isdifferent, occurs in the case of conducting liquids. Moreover, it isimportant to consider that a liquid may be “conducting” or “dielectric”depending on the frequency of the electric field that is appliedthereto. If, within a given frequency range, the liquid constitutes adielectric, the electrodes need not be coated with an insulator. Anothertechnique, known as electrowetting, allows the wettability properties ofa surface (contact angle between the surface and the liquid) to bemodified by applying a potential difference between said surface and theliquid, and thus the capillary effects may be controlled. If a potentialdifference of a few volts to 10 V is applied between the electrodes anda conducting surface, the field effect may cause contactless deposition.A higher potential difference (above 1 kV) may result inelectrospraying.

Several surface treatments may be carried out on the levers in order tomake them hydrophilic or hydrophobic, so as to optimize the behavior ofthe liquid deposited on the surface.

Firstly, it is possible to vary the materials derived from silicon,knowing their properties: silicon oxide is thus used as hydrophiliccompound, and single-crystal silicon is used as hydrophobic material.

However, since silicon has a natural tendency to undergo surfaceoxidation (presence of a nascent oxide), it may be necessary to carryout a chemical surface treatment. Such a treatment consists for examplein attaching a hydrophobic silane, for example a silane having a methylor fluorine-containing group as end group, which silane is deposited onthe silicon oxide. This compound is deposited on silicon oxide in theform of self-assembled monolayers and has the advantage of being highlyhydrophobic.

Alternatively, it is conceivable to use techniques in which remanentcharges are created in the oxide, by implantation or irradiation (forexample using X-rays), in order to enhance the wettability orhydrophilicity properties of the passivation layer (for example, a coldoxide layer).

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the surface of thedevice is made highly hydrophobic and liquid is picked up by means ofthe abovementioned dielectrophoresis and electrowetting effects. Thismakes it easier to clean the device and makes it possible to depositseveral different liquids without contamination.

A three-axis (X, Y, Z) microrobot allows the microlevers according tothe invention to be used for the filling and deposition phases.

The pick-up phase entails dipping the microstructures into a reservoircontaining the solution to be deposited and filling the microchannels byfield effect, optionally assisted by capillary effect.

For the deposition phase, the microrobot is used to position themicrostructures very precisely with respect to a surface intended toreceive the deposit. Deposition then takes place by direct contact withthe surface or by contactless field effect. The spray depositiontechnique can also be considered if the field applied is high enough tocause spray generation and atomization of the biomolecules.

The robot is, for example, a commercially available three-axis (X, Y, Z)robot with a 50 nanometer step, readily compatible with diameters ofaround 10 to 20 microns of the deposits to be produced. This precisionallows fine control of the lever/deposition surface contact, thus givingbetter volume uniformity of the spots produced. Further improvement ofthe contact control is achieved by using an actuator, for example apiezoelectric or thermomechanical actuator, integrated into themicrostructure. In addition, in the case of a row of levers, theintegrated actuators allow the contact of each device with the surfaceto be individually controlled.

The integrated piezoresistors allow servocontrol of the robot and saidactuators.

Displacement along each axis is provided by a stepper motor. Each motor,supplied with AC current, is associated with a linear position sensor,allowing closed-loop position control.

The angle of incidence, that is to say the angle of contact between thelever and the surface on which the deposition is carried out, has anappreciable influence on the size of the drops deposited. The mostsatisfactory results are obtained with an angle close to 60°. It shouldbe noted that, during the contacting phase, this angle varies from 60°to 45° when lowering the lever after contact by 50 microns (i.e. thevalue of the distance through which the lever is lowered after contact,which hereafter will be termed the “depth of contact”). Thus, the volumeof liquid deposited is varied by applying a higher or lower bearingforce.

The angle can be varied by means of a movable part fixed to the Z axisand rotating with respect to the Y axis. It is possible to control thisangle directly by means of microcontrollers connected to the drivesystem.

The deposition step may be carried out in the following. manner, asillustrated by FIGS. 9A-9D.

The first step (FIG. 9A) consists in filling the channel and thereservoir (when it exists) machined along the axis of the levers. To dothis, the control software allows the levers to be positioned above thereservoir containing the liquid to be deposited and immerses them inthis liquid. An electric field is then created by applying a voltagebetween the machined electrodes on the levers and the liquid. Next, thelevers are moved out of the liquid, and the robot positions them abovethe location of the first spot to be deposited.

We therefore have two options: either the robot moves the levers againstthe surface and the deposition takes place by contact (FIG. 9B); or therobot positions the levers above the surface (a few microns away) sothat this time there is contactless deposition (FIGS. 9C and 9D).

In the case of contact deposition, the volume deposited depends on thedepth, the contact angle and the contact time. The field effect may alsobe used to control the volume of the deposit—reducing the electric fieldbetween the conducting tracks increases the amount of liquid deposited,and vice versa. If a row of levers is used, deposition by each lever isindividually controlled thanks to the integrated actuators, which act onthe characteristics of the contact, and the electrodes.

In the case of contactless deposition, a potential difference of a fewvolts up to 10 V is applied between the metal tracks and the depositionsurface, which has to be conducting or to have a conductive coating.Thus, the resulting field effect (dielectrophoresis) sucks up theliquid. A higher potential difference (above 1 kV) may result in anelectrospray.

This procedure is repeated for each set of spots to be deposited,according to a program set up by the user, until the number of spotsthat can be produced without refilling have been reached. If thissituation occurs, the robot interrupts the deposition task and resumesthat of picking up liquid.

1. A device for depositing biological solutions, comprising at least oneflat silicon lever having a central body and an end region that forms atip in which a slit or groove is provided on one face of the lever,characterized in that it has at least one metal track that is providedon the central body of said one and same face of the lever and that runsat least partly alongside a said slit or groove, said at least one trackforming an electrode able to control the depositing of said solutions insaid slit or groove by electrostatic effects.
 2. The device as claimedin claim 1, characterized in that the slit or groove extends from saidtip as far as a reservoir provided in the central body.
 3. The device asclaimed in claim 2, characterized in that said metal track or tracks runat least partially alongside said reservoir.
 4. The device as claimed inclaim 2, characterized in that the reservoir is a non-emergent cavityprovided in one main face of the central body.
 5. The device as claimedin claim 2, characterized in that the reservoir consists of an emergentopening provided between two opposed main faces of the central body. 6.The device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a said slit orgroove and/or a said reservoir and/or a said metal track is/are coatedwith SiO₂.
 7. The device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in thatthe lever has at least one hydrophobic region made of silicon or elsemade of silicon oxide coated with a hydrophobic silane.
 8. The device asclaimed in claim 1, characterized in that it has at least one implantedpiezoresistor.
 9. The device as claimed in claim 1, characterized inthat the or each lever has at least one integrated actuator forcontrolling its bending.
 10. The device as claimed in claim 9,characterized in that said actuator comprises a piezoelectric layerdeposited on a surface of said lever.
 11. The device as claimed in claim9, characterized in that said actuator comprises a bimetallic strip anda heating resistor that is deposited on a surface of said lever.
 12. Adevice for depositing biological solutions, comprising at least one flatsilicon lever having a central body and an end region that forms a tipin which a slit or groove is provided, characterized in that it has atleast one metal track that is provided on one face of the central bodyand that runs at least partly alongside a said slit or groove, whereinthe slit or groove extends from said tip as far as a reservoir providedin the central body and the reservoir consists of an emergent openingprovided between two opposed main faces of the central body.